Notes from Amsterdam & La Mancha

Onward with the production of my movie about the drummer Michael Jerome, as he tours with Richard Thompson and then with John Cale:

From Amsterdam:

The frenzy of being me stops. I am walking to the Van Gogh to look long & hard at his Wheat Field with Crows, his deathsong. But filming one of the world's great guitarists for 3 days has me filled with hope & vim. And conversations with one of the world's great drummers has me keeping time a bit more wisely.

From the highway between Madrid and Caceres, in Extremadura:

Leaving Madrid to the wild west, extremadura. Anguished flamenco on radio, new turbo diesel has only 500 miles, first stop is with truckers at smelly joint for manchego and chorizo and bread we can only imagine anywhere other than Spain!

From Portugal:

. . . don't like to spill beans, but in Coimbra, Portugal, where last night I had a very interesting experience watching John Cale (ex-Velvet Underground) and getting a lesson in rock and roll. The movie about his drummer Michael Jerome looks cool, and this very fresh (to my ear) sound jumping out at me was 100% surprise. Life, a trip! Two more shows, then USA, then Mardi Gras, another band, more movie, more hilarity!